Here's chapter fourteen!


Only about a half hour after the paramedics arrived, Catherine was sitting in the hospital with a doctor stitching up her arm. She needed four stitches in the wound. They didn't numb it, but it didn't matter, Catherine had already gone numb to all feeling a while ago.

Sara and Greg arrived at the hospital shortly after they received the news. They sat in the waiting room for only a few minutes before a nurse told them they could talk to Catherine if they wanted. They entered Catherine's room as another nurse was about finished wrapping her arm. They were confused, they didn't know the entire story. All they heard was Catherine and Nick were in the hospital, and they headed there immediately. They had so many questions, and intended to get answers for all of them. Sara spoke first, almost immediately after they entered. "Cath, what happen?"

Catherine looked up without saying a word. They couldn't read her expression, and Sara asked a different question, "Who did it?"

Catherine looked down at her arm, "Nick." She said quietly.

"What? Catherine, what happen?" Sara asked, concerned.

"He was, trying to kill himself, and I stopped the blade with my arm." She explained as tears started to fall. She will never forget that image of him pulling the knife down into his own stomach. It was horrifying to watch, and hard to talk about.

"So, then where is he? How bad was his injuries?" Greg asked.

"He's in surgery. He has four deep stab wounds, all self-inflicted. I should've figured it out." Catherine felt guilty that Morgan was able to pick up on what was happening without even being there. She knew Nick, she should've picked up on the signs, he was showing the signs, but she had just assumed it was stress from the upcoming trial. The trial that would, once again, be postponed.

"Don't beat yourself up too much over it. None of us knew either." Greg told Catherine. They all felt guilty, but none of them blamed each other. So, they all blamed themselves.

They waited impatiently for updates on Nick's condition, and got them quite frequently. A tall brunette entered the room, and caught Greg's attention immediately. "Hello." Greg said to this lady who entered.

"You guys are with Nick Stokes, right?"

"Yes ma'am." Greg said.

"Please, call me Meridyth."

"Alright, Meridyth."

"Nick has lost a lot of blood, he's in critical condition. The doctors are doing all they can, but there's only so much they can do. He didn't hit any vital organs, which is a good thing, but he has lost a lot of blood, and he did hit some organs. This can go either way right now, and when it goes, one way or the other, it'll go fast."

"Thank you." Greg said before the nurse walked out.

Catherine recalled what had happened an hour ago, "he wanted to die when I got there, I saw it in his eyes... but by the time the medics arrived, something changed. I know he wants to live."

They all sat in silence as they took everything in. They wished the nurse would come in, and tell them good news, but they had no such luck. A different nurse entered the room, and they all stared at her anxiously, but she wasn't there to give news about Nick, she needed to check on Catherine.

"Catherine, how are you feeling?"

"Sick, guilty, anxious, angry." Catherine spoke more like she was talking to a therapist than to a nurse.

"Your arm, how is your arm? Are you in any pain?" The nurse was only there to do her job, she didn't care about Catherine's other problems.

"No, not right now."

"Are you sure? You're not on any medication."

"I'm sure." Catherine was in immense pain. It was so strong it had gone numb, and she was no longer able to feel it.

The nurse walked out as the brunette nurse re-entered. "They got the bleeding stopped. It was a struggle, his heart started pumping irregularly, and they had to shock him a couple times. The last time it almost didn't restart, but once it did, it was regular again. He's getting better."

They all let out a sigh of relief at the good news. They were glad to hear it was getting better, and they hoped it would only get better from there on out, and it did. The nurse came in every so often to update them on the progress. Each time the nurse entered their hopes of him surviving were higher and higher. Until, finally the nurse said, "He's going to make it."

When he came out of surgery they all wanted to go see him, but the nurse wouldn't allow Catherine to go. "I'm sorry Ms. Willows, you're a patient right now."

Catherine was enraged at this. "I got stabbed in the arm! I wasn't paralyzed! I didn't get shot, I wasn't stabbed in the leg, hell I didn't even stub my toe! All I needed was a couple damn stitches on my arm! I have legs, I can walk to see my friend who almost killed himself! I think he is a little more important!" She said, and walked away with Sara and Greg before the nurse had time to react.

They entered Nick's room, and saw him lying on the bed still unconscious with an IV in his arm pumping the medication into his body. His heart rate and breathing were now steady, and he seemed calm. Nick slowly woke up, waking up and falling back to sleep for a half hour. Then, he finally fully woke up, and when he did, Catherine, Sara, and Greg were sitting in his room staring at him. He saw Sara first, and then closed his eyes. He knew by the look she was giving him that she knew what he tried to do. The nurse asked him if he was in any pain, and he shook his head. He was, but he didn't want any medication for it. The pain gave him a sense of reality, it reminded him that he was still alive. He re-opened his eyes to see Greg also there. He had expected one of them to be there, and the other with Catherine, he felt extremely guilty they were both with him. Then, he looked to his other side to see Catherine sitting next to him. She was still there for him even after all the pain he caused her. She was really pale, and her entire forearm was wrapped. His eyes filled with tears as he spoke to her. His voice was quiet and raspy, "Catherine."

"Hey Nicky, glad to see you're awake."

"Why are you here? After-" He couldn't finish the sentence.

"Because I care. I know you didn't mean it. You were angry, and you've been dealing with a lot recently. Nicky, I'm not going away if that's what you're asking."

The nurse entered the room looking for Catherine. "Ms. Willows, I need you to come back in your room."

"Okay, just gimme a minute."

The nurse left the room, and trusted Catherine would return to her room in a couple minutes.

Catherine was relieved the nurse left, and that Nick was awake, it brought her back to reality and out of her state of numbness. She finally realized all the pain she was in, and it made her feel sick to her stomach, she couldn't handle it, it was too much. Her face was drained of all color, and she grasped on to the chair in order to remain sitting.

Nick noticed something was wrong, and immediately felt guilty even though he didn't know what was going on. "Are you okay?" He asked. Wanting so badly to run over and help her.

"I'm fine." She was barely able to talk.

Greg looked over at Catherine, "Catherine, you don't look too good. Let me get a nurse."

"No, I just need to go back to my room." Catherine said shifting in her chair, trying to find the easiest way to stand.

"Let us help you." Sara said.

"I'm good." Catherine said as she stood up on her own. She felt lightheaded the minute she stood, and Sara and Greg stood on either side of her, and helped her remain standing, her legs were shaking as she tried to walk. Sara and Greg helped her all the way to her room. With every step they helped her, Catherine felt worse and worse, and so did Nick.

Nick squeezed his eyes shut, he couldn't stand to watch, thinking it was all his fault. It wasn't. Catherine hadn't taken any pain medication, and she was feeling it now, but Nick didn't know that.

When Catherine was back in her room, the nurse gave her pain medication, and then chewed her out for leaving and not listening to her. The pain eased rapidly, and Catherine was finally able to relax.


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